A meeting arranged through Facebook, a transaction that ended in a secluded bush, and a disturbing threat involving a private video. These are among the allegations facing a 30-year-old man arrested by the police in Enugu State over suspected rape, robbery and sextortion involving female victims.
The suspect, identified as Ugbor Chika Paul, is being investigated by the Enugu State Police Command over a series of incidents involving three women, including two Point-of-Sale operators and another woman who reportedly came in contact with him through social media.
According to the police, preliminary investigations suggest that the suspect targeted female POS operators by pretending to need their services. He would reportedly arrange to meet them in isolated locations, where he allegedly robbed and sexually assaulted them.
The first reported incident involved a 20-year-old POS operator who worked at Akwata Market in Enugu. Her identity has been withheld to protect her privacy.
On May 21, 2026, at about 11 a.m., the young woman was reportedly lured to a bush behind St Peter’s Church in Coal Camp. Investigators said the suspect robbed and raped her at the location before escaping with ₦600,000.
But that was not the only case under investigation.
On August 11, another POS operator from the same market, aged 30, reportedly found herself at the same location after being lured there at about 5 p.m.
The police said the woman was robbed of ₦120,000. The suspect also reportedly attempted to rape her, but those attempts were unsuccessful.
The investigation later uncovered another case involving a 21-year-old woman, whose encounter with the suspect reportedly began on Facebook.
According to the police, the suspect allegedly used the name Franklin Umeh on the platform to gain the woman’s trust and arrange a meeting. She was reportedly directed to Old Park in Enugu at about 11:30 a.m. on October 4, 2026.
However, the meeting did not end there. The woman was subsequently taken to a bush around Udi Siding, where the suspect reportedly raped and sexually assaulted her.
Investigators said he also recorded nude images of the victim and took her phone, alongside ₦100,000.
The situation then allegedly escalated into sextortion.
According to the police account, the suspect threatened to circulate the woman’s nude video unless she paid him ₦200,000. He also reportedly used her phone to contact some of her WhatsApp contacts.
The allegations have raised concerns about the ways social media identities and seemingly ordinary business transactions can be exploited to lure people into dangerous situations.
Following the suspect’s arrest, police operatives reportedly recovered a phone containing nude images and video clips belonging to both identified and unidentified victims. The discovery has raised the possibility that investigators may need to establish whether other women were also affected.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Enugu State Police Command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, confirmed the arrest and said investigations were continuing.
The police stated that the suspect would be arraigned in court after the investigation had been concluded. He has not been convicted, and the allegations will need to be established through the legal process.
Meanwhile, the command has appealed to other potential victims to come forward and assist investigators. Women who have experienced cyberstalking, sexual abuse or sextortion have also been encouraged to report such cases to the police.
The Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, CP Bitrus Giwa, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting residents against sexual violence, robbery and other crimes.
He also urged members of the public, particularly women and business operators, to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities.
For investigators, one of the important questions now is whether the recovered phone could help identify additional victims and establish the full extent of the alleged crimes.
